Article feeding mechanism



July 20, 1937. c. E. PETERSON 2,087,675

ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 5, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l /;/ENTORATTORNEY,

July 20, 1937. c. E. PETERSON ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM 3 Sheet -s 2Filed 1955 23 D r 1 m m c 5 2 5 m PM 6 Q 4 1 9 w 2 1 UQTV H a .....Y. 75 Y l3 a. 3 3 H .w B .J v 1 W 4 A I ORNE July 20, 1937.

C. E. PETERSON ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 5, 1955 3Sheets-Sheet 3 I 6 ATTORNEY.

Patented July 20, 1937 ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM Conrad E. Peterson,Maiden, Mass., as'signor to De Long Gum 00., South Boston, Mass, acorporation of Massachusetts Application November 5, 1935, Serial No.48,316

6 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanisms for arranging and feeding disks,tablets, and similar articles. It will be herein disclosed as embodiedin the machine shown and described in my copending application SerialNo. 709,637, filed February 3, 1934, which issued June 16, 1936, asPatent No. 2,0441'748, although it will be evident that the invention,and particularly certain features of it, are equally useful for otherpurposes.

The machine shown in said application is designed to enclose a core ofchewing gum, or other material, in a hard, compressed shell of powderedsugar. These operations are entirely automatic, manual attention beingrequired merely to sup- 16 ply the necessary materials to it and to takeaway the finished product. In order to avoid the production of imperfectarticles, it is important that the mechanism which feeds the cores shallbe reliable to an exceptionally high degree. This involves the steps ofarranging the cores for delivery, conducting them to the point ofdelivery, and accurately controlling such delivery. All of theseoperations must be performed reliably and without attention on the partof the operator or machine attendant. To devise a mechanism that willmeet these requirements forms the chief object of this invention.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of those portions of the machine shown inthe above entitled application with which the present invention is moreespecially concerned;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view of the tablet feeding mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, with parts in section, showing details ofthe hopper and the rolls for feeding the disk-like cores out of thehopper;

Fig. 4,is a sectional view on a larger scale of ,a gate mechanism at thelower end of a chute;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing certain of the chutes andillustrating the mechanism-for operating the rocking gate; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical, sectional view of the gate and adjacent parts atsubstantially the instant of delivery of the core to a mold.

.The drawings show only approximately so much of the machine illustratedin my pending application above referred to as is necessary to anunderstanding of the present invention. For

and operation of said machine, reference should be made to saidapplication. 1

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the machine there shown comprises aflexible conveyor having two chains Ill-l0 running over suitablesprocket wheels, one pair of which, are shown at lA-H. Secured to andcarried by this conveyor are a series of mold bars i2, each bar beingprovided with a series of mold cavities. Working in each cavity is aplunger 22 which forms the bottom of the cavity, and the entire seriesof plungers rests on rails 25 which serve both to support the plungersand also to move them into different elevations at successive points inthe cycle of operations of the machine. Mechanism is provided for movingthe conveyor, step by step, past a series of stations, certain of whichare indicated at A, B, C and D, Fig. 2. Asthe mold bars travel from leftto right, Fig. 2, along the upper horizontal run of the conveyor, acharge of sugar is deposited in each mold cavity at station A; a chewinggum core is similarly delivered to each cavity at the station B, and asecond measured charge of sugar is placed in each mold at the station C.Subsequently these materials in all the cavities of each bar arecompressed at'the station D, and the compressed confections so producedare ejected from the molds at a subsequent station, not shown. Thereference letters and numerals so far used correspond to thosedesignating similar parts in my application above designated.

As above stated, the present invention is especially concerned with themechanism for delivering the chewing gum cores to the molds andarranging them suitably for the operation of the delivering or feedingmechanism. These cores usually have the form of disks or tablets ofcircular outline, somewhat thicker at their central portions than attheir edges, as indicated in Fig. 4. They are brought to the'machine ina loose mass and dumped into the hopper l5. In the particular machineshown, each mold bar contains five mold cavities, and accordingly, fivechutes [6 are provided to conduct the tablets or cores intosubstantially the position required for such delivery. An importantfeature of this invention resides in the mechanism for operating on theloose mass of tablets to deliver them to the respective chutes.

As will be evident from an inspection of the drawings, the chutes arearranged to receive the tablets edgewise in a vertical row, each tabletresting-on that immediately below it. Consequently, the mechanism forsorting the tablets must be organized to deliver the tablets to thechutes in this vertical edgewise relationship. According to thisinvention two horizontal parallel rolls l1 and I8 form the bottom of thehopper and support the mass of cores or tablets in it. They are spacedapart by a distance only slightly greater than the maximum thickness ofthe tablets so that the tablets can drop freely through the spacebetween them if they come to the bite of the rolls in an approximatelyvertical position. While the rolls may be made of any convenientmaterial, they preferably are made of wood, or of some other materialhaving a surface adapted to exert some frictional resistance to themovement of the tablets over them. In order to avoid any possibility ofcrushing the tablets, or of their becoming jammed between the rolls, andthus preventing the further feeding movement of them, or of feeding themwhen incorrectly positioned, mechanism is provided for revolving the tworolls in the same direction. It will be clear from an inspection ofFigs. 2 and 3 that if any tablet, such as those shown at T, drops intothe bite of the rolls, the downwardly moving surface of the roll l'l incontact with the tablet, tends to carry the latter into the bite. Atthe, same time the upwardly moving surface of the other roll l8 acts onthe tablet with a tendency to carry it upwardly away from the bite.Preferably this roll is revolved at a somewhat higher surface speed thanthe roll I'l. These two members acting on a tablet or core thus operateto work the disklike tablets into a vertical plane as they approach thebite of the rolls. When they are in this plane they can drop freelythrough the space separating the rolls, and this movement is aided bythe roll I1.

Such a mechanism has been found to handle these disk-like bodies gentlyand to operate with a high degree of certainty in delivering them to themechanism which subsequently engages and guides them. 1

The mechanism for revolving the rolls comprises gears secured directlyto the shafts on which the rolls are mounted, these gears meshing withan intermediate gear IS. A sprocket wheel 20 is secured on the end ofone ofthe roll shafts and drives the latter, the wheel itself beingconnected by a chain 2| with another sprocket wheel 23, fast on the camshaft 24 which is positively driven from the main driving shaft of themachine so that it is always kept in time with the movements of theconveyor.

The tablets which pass downwardly between the rolls l1 and I8 drop intoa guideway provided between two upright plates 2S--26,-these platesbeing spaced apart by a distance slightly greater than the width of thetablets, so that they hold these articles in a vertical plane. Alsolocated in this guideway are a series of rolls 21, secured fast on theinner ends of the respective shafts 28. Gears 28 are mounted onthe-outer ends of said shafts and cooperate with intermediate gears 30to connect this whole train of gears together positively and thus tocompel the rotation of all of the rolls 2! in the same direction. Thegear 29 at the left-hand end of the gear chain shown in Fig. 1 isconnected through bevel gearing with a shaft 3| which has a sprocket andchain connection with the shaft on which the sprocket 'wheel 28 ismounted. These disks 21'also are spaced apart by a distance sufficientto allow a tablet T to .pass edgewise downwardly between them with thetablet in the same planeas the rolls. Also, that portion of the guidewayimmediately below the rolls 21 is partlyoccupied by filler plates 32,Fig. 3, so spaced and designed as to provide short chutes or guideways33 leading from the spaces between adjacent rolls down to the upper endsof the respective chutes I6. Thus the rolls 2'I-2l feed tablets, one ata time, from the guideway above them into the respective chutes orpassageways 33. These passageways, as well as those in the chutes 16,are only wide enough to allow the tablets to slide freely through them.

When the mechanism above described is in operationit maintains thechutes I6 filled constantly with tablets or cores, and the lower end ofeach line of tablets rests on a flange 34 which extends across themachine under the entire series of chutes. All of these chutes areconnected rigidly together by upper and lower bars 35 and 36, and. theformer of these bars is connected by hinges 31 to one of the plates 26.Consequently, this entire series of chutes can be swung forward farenough to carry the lowermost tablet in each chute past the front edgeof the plate-like stop 34 thus permitting its escape. This movement isproduced at the desired point in each cyaccomplished by mounting a plate42 on the rigid support 43 where it can slide freely backward andforward on guide screws 44, Fig. 5, and mounting a finger piece 45 atthe forward end of this plate where it straddles a chute IS. The

finger on this part 45 projects into the vertical slot in the front ofthe chute, but normally its inner end is practically flush with theinner surfaces of the front members of the chute. However, when thechute is moved forward by the cam 38, the front face of the secondtablet T", Fig. 4, strikes the end of the finger 45 during the firstpart of this movement and, as the movement continues, the contact of thetablet. with this finger forces the slide 42 forward against the actionof the spring 46. The pressure so applied to the tablet T" is sufficientto bind it in the chute with such force that it will support the weightof the line of tablets above it. When the chute again is returned to itsinitial position, however, the pressure of the finger 45 on the tabletT" is automatically removed and then the entire line of tablets can dropuntil the lowermost unit in this line strikes the stop plate 34.

Each of the chutes I6 is equipped with a mechanism of this characteroperating in the manner just described.

Cooperating with each chute is a gate or transfer bar 41 provided with aseries of pockets 48 in line with the respective chutes and also withthe cavities M in the mold bar l2 at the instant any mold bar is stoppedat the station B. When the chutes l6 are swung forward by the cam 38, asabove described, the lowermost tablet in each chute drops into thepocket 48' in line with its respective chute, as shown in Fig. 4. Thefront sides of all of these pockets in the gate 41 are closed at thistime by a plate or bar 50, carried by two arms 5|, which are pivoted toswing freely on brackets 52 mounted on the stationary support 43. Aninstant after tablets have been deposited in the chutes 48 this gate ortransfer bar is revolved through an angle of nearly 90 and in aclockwise direction, Fig. 4, into the position illustrated in Fig. 6.This movement allows the tablets in the pockets to drop flatwise intotheir respective mold cavities M in one of the mold bars It. A charge ofsugar has previously been deposited in each of these mold cavities, andby dropping the tablets into the respective cavities while the tabletsare in an approximately horizontal position, any danger of materiallydisturbing the sugar in the molds is avoided. This is important for thereason that if the cores or tablets were delivered in an edgewise or asteeply inclined relationship into the molds, they would be likely todisplace the sugar in a considerable part of the mold and thus produce abare spot on the core in the finished product. In any event, there wouldbe great danger of so distributing the sugar that in the finishedarticle the core would not be surrounded by a hard compressed shell ofsugar of approximately uniform thickness, and such a shell is extremelydesirable for the purpose of.

protecting the core against deterioration.

The rocking or tipping movement of the gate 41 just described isproduced by providing the gate with a toothed segment 53, Fig. 5, at oneend, and meshing this segment with a similarly toothed member 54 on thelower end of a lever 55 pivoted on the screw 56, Fig. 1. A cam 51,secured on the cam shaft 24, acts on this lever to swing it at thedesired point in the cycle and thus to rock the gate or transfer bar 21,as above described. This lever is returned to its normal position afterbeing operated by the cam by the spring 58, Fig. 2.

This mechanism has been found in actual practice to operate with anexceptionally high degree of reliability. The cores in the hopper l arefed into the guideway 26, as above described, without jamming, and theyare delivered to the respective passageways 33 by the rolls 21. Thelatter rolls operate in essentially the same manner as the rolls l1 andI8 to prevent any possibility of the cores jamming in the guideway,while feeding them, one at a time, to the passageways 33. It will beobserved that each roll of this series, with the exception of those atthe extreme ends, cooperates with two of the passageways 33. At one sideit tends to feed the disks or tablets into ,the passageway at the latterside, while at its opposite side, where it is moving upwardly, it tendsto raise any misplaced tablet, acting at this point in essentially thesame manner as does the roll l8. At the lower end of each chute thedelivery of the tablets or cores to the molds is controlled by thegate'mechanism above described, and this mechanism not only effects thedischarge of the core at the proper time, but so positions each coreduring delivery that it falls into the mold in approximately ahorizontal position where its tendency to disturb the sugar previouslydeposited in the mold is reduced to a minimum.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be evident that the invention may be embodied inother forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Also,that features of the invention are equally useful in other relationshipsand in other machines where essentially the same problems are involved.For example, by increasing the distance between the plate 42 and thestop 34, the number of tablets that will be released upon a forwardswinging movement of any of the chutes IE will be increased. Such anarrange .ment is useful in connection with the packaging of tablets ordisks of various materials. Under these circumstances the gate ortransfer bar 41 is omitted. By properly designing the parts, any desirednumber of tablets, within the capacity of the machine, may be releasedin any cycle.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. In a tablet feeding mechanism, the combination of two parallelhorizontal rolls, means supporting said rolls side by side but spacedapart by a distance. only slightly greater than the thickness of thetablets, parts cooperating with said rolls to form a hopper for holdinga mass of said tablets supported on said rolls, and mechanism forrevolving said rolls in the same direction but at different surfacespeeds- 2. In a tablet feeding mechanism, the combination of twoparallel horizontal rolls, means supporting said rolls side by side butspaced apart by a distance only slightly greater than the thickness ofthe tablets, parts cooperating with said rolls to form a hopper forholding a mass of said tablets supported on said rolls, mechanism forrevolving said rolls, means below said rolls providing a relatively thinupright guideway opening at its upper end into the space between saidrolls, whereby those tablets discharged through said space will dropinto said guideway, a chute for guiding tablets away from said guideway,and means cooperating with said guideway to direct the tablets thereininto said chute.

3. In a tablet feeding mechanism, the combination of two parallelhorizontal rolls, means supporting said rolls side by side but spacedvapart by a distance only slightly greater than the thickness of thetablets, parts cooperating with said rolls to form a hopper for holdinga mass of said tablets supported on said rolls, mechanism for revolvingsaid rolls, means providing a thin guideway below said rolls to receivethe tablets that drop through the space between said rolls, additionalrolls in said guideway spaced apart to permit said tablets to passedgewise between them, one at a time, and mechanism for revolving saidadditional rolls.

4. In a tablet feeding mechanism, the combination of two parallelhorizontal rolls, means supporting said rolls side by side but spacedapart by a distance only slightly greater than the thickness of thetablets, parts cooperating with said rolls to form a hopper for holdinga mass of said tablets supported on said rolls, mechanism for revolvingsaid rolls, means providing a thin guideway below said rolls to receivethe tablets that drop through the space between said rolls, additionalrolls in said guideway spaced apart to permit said tablets to passedgewise between them,

one ata time, mechanism for revolving said additional rolls, and a chuteinto which said tablets are delivered by the latter rolls.

. 5. In a tablet feeding mechanism, the combination of two parallelhorizontal rolls, means supporting said rolls side by side but spacedapart by a distance only slightly greater than the thickness of thetablets, parts cooperating with said rolls to form a hopper for holdinga mass of said tablets supported on said rolls, mechanism for revolvingsaid rolls, means providing a thin guideway below said rolls to receivethe tablets that drop through the space between said rolls,

, spaces between said additional rolls to receivethe tablets dischargedthrough the spaces.

6. In a tablet feeding mechanism, the combination with a hopper, of achute for guiding the tablets and automatic mechanism for arranging thetablets and delivering them edgewise to the chute, meansproviding a thinguideway below the hopper to receive the tablets that drop therefrom,rolls in the guideway spaced apart by a distance slightly greater thanthe diameter of a tablet to permit said tablets to pass edgewise betweenthem; one at a time, mechanism for revolving said rolls, and a chuteinto which said tablets are delivered by said rolls.

CONRAD E. PETERSON.

